Mattress and the like and method of forming the same



Sept. 26, 1944. H, KARPEN El- AL 2,359,220

MATTRESS AND THE LIKE ANDI METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. l10, 1942 l 4 I 24E ff; i

Patented Sept. 26, 1944 MATTRESS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Harry Karpen and John P. Riley, Chicago, Ill., assignors to S. Karpen & Bros., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 10, 1942, Serial No. 454,218 s claims. `(o1. -350) This invention relates to mattresses and the like and to a method of forming the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a mattress having side stitching and equipped with top and bottom sheets of ticking which are substantially free of openings, holes, or torn portions. Another object is to provide a removable sheet of material in a boxing unit for holding the filling material of the mattress in position during the stitching operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method or forming mattresses, cushions and the like wherein a removable sheet of material is used in forming a boxing unit having therein lling material and is replaced by ticking after the unit is subjected to a side stitching operation. Yet another object is to provide a method of forming mattresses and cushions which is suitable for use in structures containing solid filling material or inner spring units encased in a solid filling material. A further object is to provide in a method of forming mattresses, the steps of passing a needle carrying thread through the filling material of the mattress to form a loop and thereafter drawing the loop tight to compress a portion of the filling material, the needle being passed into or through a removable sheet which is secured to the border member of the mattress and which,v after the stitching operation, is replaced by the ticking of the mattress. Still another object is to provide a method of forming mattresses wherein a needle carrying a thread if desired may be passed through the top or bottom sheet of the boxing unit during the stitching operation and need not necessarily be passed in the opposite direction through exactly the same hole.

Other features and advantages will appear from the following specification and drawing, in which- Y Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view ofthe boxing unit showing the filling material therein; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the unit with the first loop of stitching formed in the filling material; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the firs-t loop of stitching tightened to compress a portion of the iilling'material and a second loop formed in the lling material; Fig. 4 is a similar View showing both stitches tightened to compress the lling material; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing four stitches in the border member; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the completed mattress structure; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 'l-l of Fig. 6.

' rigidity for the border member.

In the forming of mattresses, side stitching has heretofore been used in order to compress the filling material of the mattress along the border member and thus reinforce and provide greater In the side stitching operation, a needle carrying a thread is passed through the border member, then through the lling material, and out through the top or bottom sheet of ticking of the mattress. The needle carrying the thread is then passed in the opposite direction through the same hole in the sheet of ticking and is then passed through the filling material and the border member at portions thereof immediately adjacent the portions through which the needle was originally passed. This forms a loop of the thread extending through the filling material. Upon tightening the, ends of the loop, a substantial portion of the filling material is compressed and is brought into engagement with the inner side of thev border member. The compressed filling material along the inner side of the border member serves to reinforce and strengthen the border member.

In carrying out the conventional side stitching operation, the needle and the thread carried thereby are passed into or through the top and bottom sheets of ticking or finished fabric of the'mattress. This forms holes in the finished fabric which remain present in the finished product. Moreover, if the needle is passed through the sheet of ticking, and when passed in the opposite direction is not inserted in the same hole, the tightening of the loop may tear the threads of the ticking. Such a side-stitched mattress is not entirely satisfactory. In accordance with the present invention, a sheet of material is removably secured to the iinished fabric or ticking of the border member and holds the filling material in position during the stitching operation. After the stitching operation is completed, this sheet of material is removed, and the finished fabric or ticking is placed in position and secured to the border member. In this manner, the tearing of the ticking of the mattress and the forming of holes in the same is avoided.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, top and bottom sheets Il! and Il are secured to the upper and lower edges respectively of a border member l2 to form a boxing unit I3. k

vwill serve to hold the filling material I4 in position within the boxing unit during the stitching operation. Preferably, the sheets are secured to the border member. At the same time, the sheets E@ and l I should be readily penetrated or punctured by a needle so that in the stitching operation the needle may be passed through the border member, the lling material, and the top or bottom sheet. The border member I2 may be of conventional construction. This member is 4preferably a fabric strip which extends entirely about the mattress structure. If desired, a prebuilt border (not shown) carrying a layer of padding r filling material on the inner surface thereof may be used.

The top and bottom sheets III and II may be secured to the fabric border strip I2 by sewing the same to the upper and lower edges of the border strip at I and I6. The stitching by which the sheets IIJ and I I are secured to the border strip I2 may be continuous, or, if desired, the sheets may be merely basted to the border strip or otherwise removably attached thereto. The Ybox-ing unit, which is thus formed, is pref-V erably closed on all Vsides except one. Through the open side, the filling material I4 is inserted. The filling material I4 may be inserted by using a conventional stuffing or. filling machine for mattresses. AThe open side of the boxing unit I3 is then closed and the unit is ready for the stitching operation. The unit, of course, may be hand or bench filled, or otherwise handled in accordance with conventional `practices for the stufling or filling of mattresses.

The filling material I4 may be of any suitable type orcharacter.Y As shown, the filling material may consist of soft cotton. However, any otherV solid filling material of the type used in mattresses and cushions may be used. Moreover,

an inner spring unit consisting of the convenf ner, a loop I'I is formed'within the illing ma-Y terial. As fseen particularly in Fig. 2, this loop I'I extends from theV border member through the corner portion oithe lling material to the top sheet ID.

In the stitching operation, the needle may Vbe passed through the top sheet Iii' and then reversed before `being passed through the topsheet I, the'fllling materialV I4, and the border strip I2. Preferably, the needle is inserted in the same` opening in the sheet I il, which was formed by the rst passage of the needle. However, if the needle is :passed through a portion of the sheet l!) immediately adjacent the original opening, the loopof thread may be pulled through the sheet IG, breaking the threads of the sheet which are encompassed by the loop. On the other hand, the needle may merely bepassed into the sheet I and then returned through the filling material and border strip without reversing the needle. in this event, the thread will not actually be passed through the sheet I0, but will merely be brought to a position immediately ad jacent the sheet.

After the loop II .of thread or other binding material is formed in the filling material I4, the ends of the loop are tightened and the loop is drawn tight within the lling material I4. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the tightening of the loop causes the filling material encompassed thereby to Ibe compressed, as seen at I8, and to form a reinforcing body for the inner surface of the border stripV I2.

The needle and thread used in the stitching operation may be of the conventional type and are not therefore described in detail herein. The thread may be of the type normally used in the side stitching of mattresses, but if desired any suitable binding material may be used.

After forming the loop I'I and tightening the same t0 the position shown in Fig. 3, the stitching operation is continued about the periphery of the mattress. As seen particularly in Fig. '7, a plurality of successive loops I9 are formed of a single continuous thread, the thread being repeatedly passed through theV border strip and filling material and tightened to form the tight loops shown in this figure.

After the stitching has been carried out about the ent-ire peripheral surface of the mattress, a second row of stitching may be formed. As seen particularly in Fig. 3, the thread may be passed through the portion 20 of the border member I2 and then-through the filling material I4 to form the loop 2I. This loop, in turn, may be tightened to compress the lling material and bring the same into engagement with the inner side of the border stri I2 (Fig. 4).

Additional rows of stitching may be placed in the lower portion of the border strip I2. These row-s of stitching are formed by passing the needle through orinto the bottom'sheet II and then tightening the loops 22 and 23 to compress the iilling material along the lower portion of the border strip, as seen particularly in Fig. 5'.

Any suitable number of rows of stitching may be used. As illustrated, four rows of stitching are formed, two of the rows being formed by passing the needle into the top sheet and the other two rows being formed by passing th needle into the bottom sheet.

When the stitching is completed, the sheetsvl and `II are removed from the boxing units and sheets of ticking or iinished fabric 2'4 and 25 are placed on the top and bottom surfaces of the mattress structure. The sheets' 24 and 25 are preferably attached to the respective upper and lower edges of the border member I2 by strips of binding tape 25 :and 2l. binding tape 26 and 21, cords or welts or other suitable means may be used to attach the sheets 24 and 25 to the border member. stitching 28 may be passed vertically through the mattress structure in accordance with conventional practice. Y

Although the stitching operation which is used is `preferably the side stitching illustrated and described, any suitable type of stitching may be used. It is important, however, that the top and bottom sheets which hold the filling material in position during the stitching operation be removably secured to the upper and lower edges of the border member and that these sheets be removed after the stitching operation and replaced by the mattress ticking.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the construction of mattresses, it will be apparent that it may be applied to any similar type of construction. For example,` the Instead of the strips of` If desired, the

invention may be utilized in connection with the construction of cushions and the like.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment, it will be apparent that many changes and modiiications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

l. A method of forming a mattress and the like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom sheets removably secured to a ,fabric border member and filling material within the unit, at least a portion of the filling material being highly compressible, passing needle means' carrying a binding material through the border member, the filling material and through one of the sheets whereby the binding material is passed through the filling material, passing the needle back through said one sheet at the same opening as it previously entered, passing the needle and the binding material through the lling material and border member to form a loop of the binding material in the iilling material, tightening the loop of the binding material to compress the lling material encompassed thereby, removing the sheet penetrated by the needle means, and applying to the surface of the unit a sheet of finished fabric tov replace the sheet which is removed.

2. A method of forming mattresses and the like, comprising sewing fabric sheets to the top and bottom edges of a fabric border member to form a boxing unit, introducing highly compressible filling material into the boxing unit, passing a needle carrying a thread through the border member, through the filling material adjacent the border member and through one of said sheets at a portion thereof adjacent said border member but spaced therefrom, passing the thread-carrying needle in the opposite direction through said portion of the sheet, through a portion of the filling material adjacent the portion through which the needle was i'irst passed and through the border member at a portion thereof 4adjacent to but spaced from the portion thereof through which the needle was rst passed whereby a loop of thread is formed in the lling material, drawing tight the ends of the loop of thread to break threads of said one sheet contained within the loop and to compress the filling material against the border member, removing from the unit the sheet penetrated by the needle, and sewing to the edges of the border member a sheet of finished fabric to replace the sheet which is removed from the unit.

3. A method of forming mattresses and the like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom sheets of material secured to a border member and lling material within the unit; subjecting the unit to a stitching operation which includes passing needle means carrying binding material into said unit, through said border member, through said filling material and thence through one of said sheets, then passing saidbottom sheets of material secured to a border member and filling material within the unit;'

through said lling material and thence through one of said sheets, then passing said needle back through said one sheet at approximately the point at which it entered, passing said needle and binding material and through said filling vmaterial through said border member to form a loop of binding material encompassing filling material, tightening said loop to free said binding material from said one sheet and to compress the filling material within said loop; removing the sheet which is penetrated by the needle; and applying a sheet of fabric to the surface of the unit to replace the sheet which is removed.

5. A method of forming mattresses and the like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom sheets of material secured to a border member and filling material within the unit; subjecting the unit to a stitching operation which includes passing a needle and binding material into said unit, through said border member, through said iilling material and thence through one of said sheets, then passing said needle back through said one sheet through the opening through which it entered, passing said needle and binding material through said filling material and through said border member to form a loop of binding material encompassing lling material, drawing said loop taut; removing the sheet which is penetrated by the needle; and applying a sheet of fabric to the surface of the unit to replace the sheet which is removed.

6. A method of forming mattresses and the like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom sheets of material secured to a border member and iilling material within the unit; subjecting the unit to a stitching operation which includes passing a needle and binding material into said unit, through said border member, through said filling material and thence through one of said sheets, then passing said needle back through said one sheet at a different point from that at which it entered but adjacent thereto, passing said needle and said binding` material through said filling material and through said border member to form a loop -of binding material encompassing filling material, tightening said loop to rupture threads of said one sheet which are within said loop and to compress nlling material within the loop; removing the sheet which is penetrated by the needle; and applying a sheet of fabric to the surface of the unit to replace the sheet which is removed.

7. A method of forming mattresses and the like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom fabric sheets removably secured to the upper and lower edges respectively of a fabric border member and with filling material within the unit, at least a portion of said filling material being highly compressible; subjecting said unit to a side stitching operation which includes passing a needle carrying binding material through said border member, thence through said filling material and thence through one of said sheets, passing said needle back through said one sheet at approximately the point where it entered, passing said needle and binding material through said iilling material and through said fabric border member to form a loop encompassing filling material, drawing said loop taut; removing from the unit said one sheet; and applying a sheet of nishedffabric to the surface of the unit to re-` pla-ceA the sheet-which is removed.

8. -A method of `forming mattresses andthe like, comprising forming a boxing unit with top and bottom fabric sheets removably secured to Vthe upper and lower edges respectively vof aiabric border'member and with filling material WithinH the unit; subjecting said unit to a side stitching operation which Yincludes passing a needle carrying-binding material through said border meinber, thence through said filling I materialA and thence through one of said sheets, 4passing said needle .back through said one sheet at approximately the point Where it entered, passing said needle and binding material through said filling material and through said fabric border member to form a, loop encompassing a portion of filling material, drawing said loop taut; subjecting saidunit to a second side stitching operation which includes passing a needle carrying binding material through said border member, thence through said lling material and thence through the other of said sheets, passing said last-mentioned needle back through said other sheet at approximately the point where it entered, passv ing said last-mentioned needle and binding ma` terial'through said llingA material and through said'fabric border member to form a loopencompassing a secondl portion of filling material, drawing'rsaid last formed loop taut; removing from the unitV both. of said sheets; and applying sheets of iinished fabric to the surfaces ofV the unit to replace the sheets Which are removed.

HARRY KARPEN. JOHN P. RILEY. 

